Hall Coin Fair. Coin fair

The Tyrolean Numismatic Society, supported by the municipality of Hall in Tirol, Hall AG and Raiffeisen Regionalbank Hall in Tirol, organizes the internationally popular annual coin fair.

A wide range of coins from antiquity to modern times, medals, orders, collectors' accessories and specialist literature will be on display. In addition to members of the Austrian Coin Dealers Association, numerous dealers from neighboring countries, especially Germany and Italy, will also be presenting their stocks. The Institute of Numismatics and Monetary History at the University of Vienna will also be represented. Free admission for visitors, prize competitions and an information table of the Tyrolean Numismatic Society will ensure an entertaining and highly interesting day.

The historic mint in Hall in Tyrol existed from 1477 to 1809 and its foundation marked the beginning of a new economic era for Austria. While all Austrian mints had previously only minted coins or small change for local needs and only rarely gold coins, Hall was the first to mint a large silver coin, the thaler with its subdivisions (half thaler, quarter thaler, pound and six). The coinage thus met the greater monetary needs of the new large-scale economy and long-distance trade. At the same time, the large silver mine in nearby Schwaz provided the necessary quantities of coin metal for large minting runs. The high silver content and the associated stable value of the Haller coins was maintained despite all the temptations in times of economic crisis and gave them a reputation throughout Europe.

The minting of the first large silver coin in Hall in the years from 1486 was adopted by the needs of the large trading companies, such as the Fuggers, encouraged by Emperor Maximilian I, for the whole of Austria and enforced by Emperor Ferdinand I on a broad basis. The thaler was the most stable European silver coin for over three hundred years.

In 1566, for the second time, the Hall mint caused a revolution in coinage. The ever-increasing demand for money could no longer be met by the laborious manual minting process. Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol had the technician Hans Vogler introduce the first mechanical coinage in Hall in 1566. With the help of water power, two rotating metal rollers with engraved dies struck the coin image onto a silver strip, the silver grove. In the following decades, the "Haller Münzdruckwerk" was introduced throughout Europe as so-called roller minting, e.g. in Ensisheim in 1584 and in Segovia in 1585. It was not until the 18th century that roller minting was replaced by modern pusher mechanisms and screw presses. Commemorative or special coins were also minted in Hall from 1504, which were not used for monetary transactions but were collected because of their size and the beauty of their design. In 1600, Emperor Rudolf II said of these Hall special coins or show coins "that they were only intended for decoration and preservation and not for daily spending".
Nowhere else in Austria were so many and such a variety of special coins minted as in Hall and nowhere else was so much attention paid to ensuring that they were made of good silver and corresponded to the value of the coins intended for circulation. In addition, famous goldsmiths were responsible for the artistic design of these special coins.

The die cutters Ulrich Ursentaler (1508 to 1546), Jakob Berdolf (1569 to 1591), Peter Hartenpeck (1595 to 1616) and the members of the König family (1633 to 1747) created artistic coin dies that were exemplary beyond the borders of Austria. The great reputation of Hall coins among collectors is due not least to their artistic beauty. The mint in Hall was by no means a Tyrolean affair, as it was an all-Austrian mint from 1490 to 1565, 1595 to 1602, 1620 to 1623 and 1665 to 1805, as no sovereign princes ruled Tyrol during these periods. But even among the independent sovereigns, the mint in Hall was exemplary for the rest of Austria. In contrast to other Austrian mints, it was never leased out, but was always a state enterprise.
From 1596, even American silver, brought to Europe by the famous Spanish silver fleets, was minted in Hall. The efficiency of the Hall mint is confirmed by the fact that in 1596 alone, 360,000 thalers with the portrait of Archduke Ferdinand ll were minted on behalf of Emperor Rudolf II. However, the first coins were also minted in Hall on behalf of the people as sovereign, when in 1809 Andreas Hofer had the famous Hofer 20s and Hofer Kreuzers struck during the few months of the free Tyrol in the fight against Napoleon's forced rule.

These great achievements and special features justify Hall's ambition to become a numismatic center of Europe. A good prerequisite is that the mint has been preserved almost intact. It comprises the impressive complex of Hasegg Castle, which was originally built to protect the salt works and then significantly extended by Emperor Maximilian I between 1500 and 1515. In addition to the beautiful Gothic chapel of Emperor Maximilian, it includes the mint gate of Hall's town fortifications with the coat of arms stone of the founder of the mint, Archduke Sigismund the Mint Rich (1489), and the unique mint tower, the landmark of the town of Hall.

The museum in Hasegg Castle shows the historical development of minting technology. The Tyrolean Numismatic Society has set itself a further goal in addition to its previous tasks (for example, deepening contacts between collectors or the scientific analysis of the history of the Hall mint), namely to make Hall a European numismatic center.

The town of Hall is ideally suited for this due to its historical significance.